The Chief Ombudsman/Kaitiaki Mana Tangata has urged the Government to make big changes to Oranga Tamariki following the release of his scathing report on Wednesday.
Peter Boshier said he's not confident practices and processes at Oranga Tamariki are "operating as they ought to".
His report looked at 2000 complaints, allegations and enquiries about Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) over the past four years.
“I have spent the last year analysing these complaints and enquiries, including those from tamariki and rangatahi," Boshier said.
While there are good practices and outcomes within the agency, he said the report has some "extremely distressing stories".
"They include a rangatahi kept in an institution against their wishes for years and a young disabled mother whose baby was uplifted at birth and never returned."
By sharing the report, Boshier said he hopes it'll provide transparency, accountability and an opportunity to reset Oranga Tamariki.
Some of Boshier's recommendations include:
- A ministry-wide quality improvement plan
- Ensuring staff understand relevant legislation & policy
- Paying better attention to detail
- Having accurate information in decision-making
- More staff training and supervision
- Regular tracking and reporting
- Better record-keeping
In the past, Boshier's recommendations have resulted in changes to the agency.
“Oranga Tamariki’s court documents, for example, must now include a comprehensive, balanced, and accurate analysis of the risks and benefits of placements," he said.
“However, it is abundantly clear that much more work is required."
Oranga Tamariki responds
Chappie Te Kani, chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, said the organisation acknowledges its residences need improvements.
"I accept the report and its findings in full," he said.
"Ensuring that our residences and homes are safe is a top priority for me and Oranga Tamariki."
Te Kani said "significant" resources had already been redirected towards the residences before the report's release.
In June, he set up a report line and incident management team to deal with complaints and allegations.
"These complaints ranged from inappropriate language to supplying contraband to the more serious alleged physical and sexual assaults," said Te Kani.
The report line received 46 complaints involving staff, 26 of which were referred to the police. The rest, some dating back to 2015, were dealt with as employment matters.
Three kaimahi (staff) have since been charged with various offences, while 22 have been removed from residences since June.
Substantial changes have been undertaken at Oranga Tamariki, Te Kani said, such as refurbishing all units at Korowai Manaaki in Wiri, Auckland and completing the national rollout of soft furnishings.
Other measures include bringing in extra leadership, having formal debriefs after major incidents, increased vetting of staff and introducing a triage panel for complaints.
"Whilst the immediate actions we have taken are beginning to address these issues, I recognise there is substantially more work to be done," Te Kani said.
He's also asked former Police Commissioner Mike Bush to stay on in a governance capacity at Oranga Tamariki and to chair the transformation governance group in 2024.
"The review reinforces the voices of many rangatahi who have called for change, who have asked to be understood in the context of their whakapapa and who have bravely shared their own experiences so that things can be different.
"My leadership team and I are committed to making sure your voices are at the centre of how we respond, both now and into the future."
